Sunshine Bus to get a new home by August 2010

Federal transportation grant completes needed funding

PETER GUINTApeter.guinta@staugustine.com

Published Wednesday, April 08, 2009

A five-acre parcel along Old Moultrie Road will become the new nerve center of the Sunshine Bus Co., which has been housed for four cramped years at the old Winn-Dixie Shopping Center on Anastasia Island.

Transit Planner Gary Mackey said Tuesday that St. Johns County has received a $948,514 grant from the Federal Transit Administration, the last piece of funding needed to get the new St. Johns County Public Transit Facility started in October. The project should be finished in August 2010.

The money comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, part of federal stimulus money designed to pay capital costs of public transportation assistance.

On a motion Tuesday from Commissioner Phil Mays and a 5-0 vote, the County Commission approved the project and grant.

Commission Chairwoman Cyndi Stevenson said, "I know this project is something that has been desired for some time."

Mackey told the commission that any money from the FTA must be used for public transportation. No local match is required.

"We just started the engineering on the facility," he said.

Dixon & Associates has been chosen as the project's architects, and groundbreaking is scheduled for October.

Federal regulations require that 1 percent of the total grant, or $9,486, be earmarked for site security and safety.

Lisa Love, director of transportation operations for the Sunshine Bus Co., said the organization bought the property across from King's Trace three years ago with the aim of centralizing the maintenance, administration and storage of its 50 vehicles.

Some of what Love called "formula funding" -- various amounts from different governmental agencies -- is already collected.

"(But) you have to have all the money in place before you begin the project," Love said. "It will hold our customer service offices, dispatch and our driver staging areas. The county will own the building."

Previously, Sunshine Bus worked out of two store fronts at an old shopping center at state roads 312 and A1A.